Category: Psalms

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The Heavens Declare

I went out this morning to see the blood moon and the eclipse. My little camera didn’t capture it adequately…but my heart did.

People worldwide are looking up and the heavens are speaking.

“Wisdom and victory come when we listen to the Lord’s instruction. The heavens are telling of the greatness of God and the great open spaces above show the work of His hands. 2 Day to day they speak. And night to night they show much learning. 3 There is no speaking and no words where their voice is not heard. 4 Their sound has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun. 5 It is as a man soon to be married coming out of his room and as a strong man who is happy to run his race. 6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens, and it makes its way to the other end. Nothing is hidden from its heat.

7 The Law of the Lord is perfect, giving new strength to the soul. The Law He has made known is sure, making the child-like wise. 8 The Laws of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The Word of the Lord is pure, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The Lord is always true and right in how He judges. 10 The Word of the Lord is worth more than gold, even more than much fine gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey straight from the comb. 11 And by them Your servant is told to be careful. In obeying them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:1-11 NLV

The earth tells of God’s greatness, the heavens declare His glory, His word gives wisdom and great reward!

Before I even stepped out on my porch my heart was singing. I am full of praise. The Creator of the sun, moon and stars sees me each day. He knows the number of hairs on my head. He protects me from harm. He calls me by name and has made me His child.

“I lift up my eyes to You, O You Whose throne is in the heavens.” Psalm 123:1 NLV

I call Him “Father”.

“All my words fall short
I got nothing new
How could I express
All my gratitude?

I could sing these songs
As I often do
But every song must end
And You never do

So I throw up my hands
And praise You again and again
‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah
Hallelujah
And I know it’s not much
But I’ve nothing else fit for a King
Except for a heart singing hallelujah
Hallelujah

I’ve got one response
I’ve got just one move
With my arm stretched wide
I will worship You” Gratitude by Brandon Lake

My heart sings praise to the Father. I hope yours does too!!

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Good Things

This morning I want to bring you some good things from the Scriptures – things like peace, joy, protection, healing, forgiveness, strength and wisdom.

Yes, all these things are brought to you by God from His word.

Peace:

“God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you. 4 So trust the Lord always, because in the Lord Yah you have a place of safety forever.” Isaiah 26:3-4 ERV

Joy:

“You have shown me the path to life, and you make me glad by being near to me. Sitting at your right side I will always be joyful.” Psalm 16:11 CEV

Protection:

“Live under the protection of God Most High and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful. 2 Then you will say to the Lord, “You are my fortress, my place of safety; you are my God, and I trust you.” 3 The Lord will keep you safe from secret traps and deadly diseases. 4 He will spread his wings over you and keep you secure. His faithfulness is like a shield or a city wall.” Psalm 91:1-4 CEV

Healing and Forgiveness:

“My soul, praise the Lord! Every part of me, praise his holy name! 2 My soul, praise the Lord and never forget how kind he is! 3 He forgives all our sins and heals all our sicknesses. 4 He saves us from the grave, and he gives us love and compassion. 5 He gives us plenty of good things. He makes us young again, like an eagle that grows new feathers.” Psalm 103:1-5 ERV

Strength:

“Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” Philippians 4:13 ERV

Wisdom:

“If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking. 6 But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. ” James 1:5-6 CEV

Each day the Lord’s blessings and mercy are new. Let Him show you how good He is and how much He desires to carry your burdens.

“Praise the Lord! Every day he helps us with the loads we must carry. He is the God who saves us. Selah 20 He is our God, the God who saves us. My Lord God saves us from death.” Psalm 68:19-20 ERV

Now, I hope you will sit and savor the “Good Things” our Father has given you!

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A Gnarly Tree…

or as the prophet Isaiah put it, “oaks of righteousness” or the planting of the Lord.

Can you even imagine what this tree has experienced in its life cycle? The winds, the rains, the hurricanes, the drought, the fight to survive and thrive!

I think of trees like this as well as the giant redwoods, the sequoias, massive olive trees and cedars groves when I read what Isaiah, David and the other Old Testament writers refer to when they write about those who are righteous.

The term “righteous” isn’t some unattainable religious goal. No. Simply put it means to be in right standing with God. Righteous is a term that can be applied to all of us who have placed our faith in God.

“ Christ never sinned but God put our sin on Him. Then we are made right with God because of what Christ has done for us.” II Corinthians 5:20-21 NLV

“But he finds joy in the Law of the Lord and thinks about His Law day and night. 3 This man is like a tree planted by rivers of water, which gives its fruit at the right time and its leaf never dries up. Whatever he does will work out well for him.” Psalm 1:2-3 NLV

Isaiah, the prophet, wrote these words about Jesus hundreds of years before He was born.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has chosen me to bring good news to poor people. He has sent me to heal those with a sad heart. He has sent me to tell those who are being held and those in prison that they can go free. 2 He has sent me to tell about the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day our God will bring punishment. He has sent me to comfort all who are filled with sorrow. 3 To those who have sorrow in Zion I will give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. I will give them the oil of joy instead of sorrow, and a spirit of praise instead of a spirit of no hope. Then they will be called oaks that are right with God, planted by the Lord, that He may be honored.” Isaiah 61:1-3 NLV

Jesus spoke these words in a synagogue and it made them so angry they tried to throw Jesus off a cliff. (Luke 4:17-30, read it)

Some people still get angry today when they are told that we have received right standing with God because of what Jesus did.

A life lived in Christ is a life of thriving in the storms. Our roots go deep into His word, our branches sway in the wind, we provide shelter to those in need, comfort to those who are weary.

We become gnarly old trees who have been planted by the Lord and we stand grounded on His word.

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Enjoy the Sonshine

One of the things I enjoy the most about living in Arizona is the amount of sunshine we get to enjoy. The sunrises and sunsets are absolutely gorgeous but it’s the warmth of the “all-day” sunshine that really touches my soul.

I am so grateful that the Lord has brought me to this place. This is my home but more importantly, it is a daily reminder of the goodness and blessings of God.

Oh, how I love the Lord…I never want to take His love for me for granted!

“But I will sing about your strength. I will rejoice in your love every morning. You have been my place of safety, the place I can run to when troubles come. 17 I will sing praises to you, my source of strength. You, God, are my place of safety. You are the God who loves me!” Psalm 59:16-17 ERV

“For I know that nothing can keep us from the love of God. Death cannot! Life cannot! Angels cannot! Leaders cannot! Any other power cannot! Hard things now or in the future cannot! 39 The world above or the world below cannot! Any other living thing cannot keep us away from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 NLV

As much as the sunshine warms my soul, it is the Sonshine that gives me a victorious life each day. This morning my heart once again breaks out with one of the old hymns I learned as a child. “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”/

” O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”

I pray that you let everything in life dim this morning so that you may see Jesus shining bright.

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Greener Pastures

Did you have a busy weekend? Was it hard to find time to rest? Were there too many distractions or unsettling circumstances that caused you to fret?

Some days are like that. Some days it feels as if we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. Those are the times that God reminds us to follow Him and His leading. He knows what we need better than we do.

This morning this blog is for you!

“The Lord is my Shepherd. I will have everything I need. 2 He lets me rest in fields of green grass. He leads me beside the quiet waters. 3 He makes me strong again. He leads me in the way of living right with Himself which brings honor to His name. 

4 Yes, even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid of anything, because You are with me. You have a walking stick with which to guide and one with which to help. These comfort me. 5 You are making a table of food ready for me in front of those who hate me. You have poured oil on my head. I have everything I need. 6 For sure, You will give me goodness and loving-kindness all the days of my life. Then I will live with You in Your house forever.” Psalm 23 NLV

We have everything we need when we are close to Him. Rest. Quiet. Strength. Right Living. Worry Free. Comfort. Peace. Goodness. Loving-Kindness.

Somehow, Psalm 23 seemed to be the perfect reading for the 23rd day of February.

Only seven weeks into the new year and already so many are loaded down by fear and worry, uneasiness and care. God never intended for our lives to be in such turmoil. Regardless of the circumstances we have His promise of peace and rest.

Look up. See the Shepherd. Let Him lead you to green pastures and still waters. Lay down and rest. Let Him give you the comfort that only He can provide!

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Always Thinking About Us

When you woke this morning, God was thinking about you!

As you go through your day, His thoughts are always on you. His desire is for your best. He loves you so deeply and is thinking of ways to show you His best.

King David said that God’s thoughts to us were so many that they couldn’t be counted. Jeremiah, the prophet, said that God’s thoughts toward us were for our success.

As you go through your day, if you stop and think, God will be thinking of you. I hope you will take time to thank Him that you’re always on His mind and in His heart!

“Great blessings belong to those who trust in the LORD, for those who do not turn to demons and false gods for help. LORD my God, you have done many amazing things! You have made great plans for us—too many to list. I could talk on and on about them, because there are too many to count.” Psalm 40: 4 &5 ERV

“‘ I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.’ This message is from the LORD. ‘I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future.'” Jeremiah 29:11 ERV

“The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.” Psalm 145:17-18 CEV

Even when our thoughts are not on Him, He is thinking of us!

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Be Strong – Be Courageous

These words came fast and with great emphasis this morning. These words are from God’s heart to yours!

“Trust the Lord! Be brave and strong and trust the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 CEV

“Be strong and brave, all of you who are waiting for the Lord’s help.” Psalm 31:24 ERV

“ I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 CEV

“When I asked for your help, you answered my prayer and gave me courage” Psalm 138:3 CEV

“Dear friends, if we feel at ease in the presence of God, we will have the courage to come near him. 22 He will give us whatever we ask, because we obey him and do what pleases him.” I John 3:21-22 CEV

“Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Don’t tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with my arm and give you victories.” Isaiah 41:10 CEV

“ David said to Saul, ‘Let no man’s heart become weak because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.’ 33 Saul said to David, ‘You are not able to go and fight against this Philistine. You are only a young man, while he has been a man of war since he was young.’ 34 But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant was taking care of his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and fought him and saved it from his mouth. When he came against me, I took hold of him by the hair of his head and hit him and killed him. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear. And this Philistine who has not gone through our religious act will be like one of them. For he has made fun of the armies of the living God.’ 37 And David said, ‘The Lord Who saved me from the foot of the lion and from the foot of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.‘” I Samuel 17:32-37 NLV

I’m not sure if you are facing is like a lion, a bear, the city of Jericho or an army that wants to destroy you, but God’s message is “Take heart – Be Courageous – I AM with you”!

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My Choice

What I’m about to say may shock you. I am pro-choice.

Don’t stop reading. Let me explain.

“My body and mind may fail, but you are my strength and my choice forever.” Psalm 73:26 CEV

“You, Lord, are all I want! You are my choice, and you keep me safe.” Psalm 16:5 CEV

“ Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! 4 Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.7-8  Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means our sins are now forgiven.” Ephesians 1:3-7 CEV

I woke up this morning thinking how thankful I am that God chose me – He chooses us! And then I heard my heart say, “Father, I make You my choice”. Yes, I am very definitely pro-choice. God doesn’t demand that we love Him, He give us the choice.

You all know I love getting up early in the morning and starting my day in the quiet. It didn’t use to be like that.

I didn’t always enjoy being alone with just my thoughts. My heart would become anxious; I would want to turn on the tv or the radio – anything to block out the silence, anything not to focus on the unrest or the distress that I felt churning in my spirit.

Maybe you’re like that. No wanting to get up and be “alone” with yourself and with the Father. Wanting to get up and get going right away to keep yourself from pausing in the quiet of the morning…

King David wrote in the Psalms to “be still and KNOW that I AM God”. Know = to be intimately acquainted with, a deep personal knowledge or understanding.

“God is our mighty fortress, always ready to help in times of trouble. 2 And so, we won’t be afraid! Let the earth tremble and the mountains tumble into the deepest sea..10 Our God says, “Calm down, and learn that I am God! All nations on earth will honor me.” 11 The Lord All-Powerful is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46:1,2,10,11 CEV

This verse says to calm down where the KJV says be still. Take time to let what you just heard sink in.

God has made the choice to be our strength, our peace, our help, our defender, our protection and our Savior. We need to make the choice to “calm down” and “be still” so we can learn that He is God and He has chosen to be kind to us.

It’s our choice.

It was reading, learning and applying God’s word that brought me peace.

” With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 ERV

When I come to His throne, in the quiet of the morning, I find grace, mercy, kindness and help. I find Jesus! I can’t imagine starting a day without this time.

The choice is ours! My choice is to choose God!

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Sharing Love

What are your plans for today? Working, recreating, relaxing? Whatever it is, wherever you are take time to praise the name of the Lord!

If you see a beautiful sunrise, taste those bacon and eggs, hear a small child giggle, see an older person smile, have a dog wiggle all over because he’s glad to see you – praise the name of the Lord for these are small but irreplaceable gifts from Him.

If you comfort someone dear to you, shed uncontrollable tears, speak a kind word to someone who is hurting or help someone who is down on their luck – praise the name of the Lord that He has chosen you to touch their life.

““Then the godly people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you with no place to stay and welcome you into our home? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’

40 “Then the king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.’” Matthew 25:37-40 ERV

“May the LORD’S name be praised now and forever. 3 May the LORD’S name be praised from where the sun rises to where it goes down. 4 The LORD is higher than all nations. His glory rises to the skies.” Psalm 113:2-4

With each bit of kindness, each word of praise, each whispered prayer of thanksgiving your day will be brighter and you will be doing what you were created to do – praising the name of the Lord. Have a blessed and praise filled day.

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Don’t Quit Too Soon

I had been reading my Bible this morning and quit to have my prayer time. I closed my Bible and laid it on the shelf beside me. That’s when these words came ringing through the silence in my heart.

“You quit too soon”. Too soon? Yes, too soon.

I had been reading about Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem; I read about the heads of the clans of Israel. I read Solomon’s words in Proverbs and David’s words in Psalms.

“ Words from good people are like pure silver, but thoughts from the wicked are worthless. 21 Good people say things that help others, but the wicked die from a lack of understanding.” Proverbs 10:20-21 ERV

“Our Lord, everything you do is kind and thoughtful, 18 and you are near to everyone whose prayers are sincere. 19 You satisfy the desires of all your worshipers, and you come to save them when they ask for help.” Psalm 145:17-18 CEV

These words were establishing themselves in my heart. I was beginning to praise God for what I read – how could I have quit too soon? It was then I remembered that my reading yesterday took me up to the last chapter of Luke.

I had read about the mock trial, the persecution and crucifixion of Jesus. The last I had read was of His burial. So, I picked up my Bible and opened to chapter 24 of Luke. The words jumped off the page…

Jesus Is Alive

24 “Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices they had prepared. 2 When they found the stone rolled away from the entrance, 3 they went in. But they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus, 4 and they did not know what to think.

Suddenly two men in shining white clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were afraid and bowed to the ground. But the men said, “Why are you looking in the place of the dead for someone who is alive? 6  Jesus isn’t here! He has been raised from death. ” Luke 24:1-6 CEV

Now, don’t get religious on me. Listen to what I have to say. Of course, we all know that Jesus is alive.

JESUS IS ALIVE!

Too many times, we read the Bible like a history book, a good story or helpful instruction. But it is the living word of God!

John wrote in the first chapter of his writings that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. Jesus is the Word; He is alive and He is living with us through the pages of the book that we hold in our hands.

Heed the words of the angels – don’t go looking for the living where the dead are. When we need strength, go to the One who conquered death. When we need peace, go to the One who calmed the storm. When we need hope, go to the One who promises to satisfy our desires. When we need wisdom, go to the One whose words are like pure silver.

Don’t quit too soon!

“ For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.[a] 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 NLT

Jesus is alive and because He is, we have His life residing in us!

Don’t quit too soon, let the reality of the living Christ live, really live, in you!

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